The Tar Heels are making moves early-and aggressively-in the 2027 recruiting cycle, especially when it comes to bolstering their secondary. The latest addition? Chuck Roberts, a three-star safety who just gave his verbal commitment to North Carolina, choosing Chapel Hill over a loaded list of finalists that included Florida, Miami, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington.
Roberts, originally from Mission Hills, California, is currently suiting up at IMG Academy, one of the premier prep football programs in the country. At 6-foot and 180 pounds, he brings a blend of size, speed, and instincts that has clearly caught the attention of Power Five programs across the country. Now, he’s the third player from the Class of 2027 to commit to UNC and the latest building block for Bill Belichick’s vision in Chapel Hill.
Let’s talk about what makes Roberts stand out.
Before transferring to IMG, Roberts put together a freshman season at Bishop Alemany that turned heads. His playmaking ability and physicality were evident early, and the move to IMG was a calculated one-designed to sharpen his skills against top-tier national talent. While his raw numbers at IMG don’t pop off the page the way they did back home, that’s more a reflection of the elevated competition and depth on the IMG roster than a dip in performance.
In fact, Roberts has quietly emerged as one of the most reliable coverage safeties on a defense full of future D-I athletes. This past season, he allowed just three catches in coverage-a stat that speaks volumes about his awareness, technique, and ability to read quarterbacks. He’s not just flying around the field looking for big hits; he’s locking down his zone and making life difficult for opposing offenses.
One of the more intriguing elements of this commitment is Roberts’ connection to UNC Special Teams Assistant Billy Miller, who previously coached at IMG. That relationship clearly played a role in Roberts' recruitment.
The Tar Heels offered him early in the fall, and he was on campus for a game-day visit when UNC hosted Stanford in November. That visit seems to have sealed the deal.
For North Carolina, this is another strong addition to a secondary that’s starting to stack talent early in the 2027 class. Roberts brings versatility-he can play deep safety, drop into the box, or match up in man coverage. He’s the kind of player who doesn’t just fill a roster spot; he raises the ceiling of a defense.
With Roberts now in the fold, UNC continues to build momentum on the recruiting trail-and in the secondary, in particular. If this trend continues, the Tar Heels could be looking at one of the more dynamic young defensive backfields in the ACC in a few years.